Madonna: The Book

Library Journal

Celebrity biographer King dutifully details Madonna's mythic origins and rise to colossal status in the music industry. Both King and Christopher Anderson Ma donna: Unauthorized , S. & S., 1991 seem to have drawn from a common pool of information. King's book lacks the enthusiastic voyeurism found in TV's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous , and there are few original insights in spite of boring quotes from academics. What's missing is real curiosity and conjecture about Madonna's persona and work. King offers little discussion of the role pre-existing cinematic icons and photographic imagery Marilyn Monroe, Horst's photos, etc. play in her changing projections of self. The parade of boyfriends and public ambitions is here, but Madonna's own comments at the end of the book do the most to convey her vigorous ambiguities. For libraries with large pop culture collections. Photos not seen.-- Susan Wexler, formerly with ``Library Journal''